Best Homemade Burger Recipe

This post was last updated on November 17, 2014 to include new images.

We are pretty lucky to have so many awesome restaurants out here in Austin.

We have become so accustomed to getting delicious burgers, tacos, BBQ, and more any time we want.

But it’s also nice to stay in and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

And, when I say “meal,” I really mean this best homemade burger recipe.

(And, yes, that little patty right there is for one of the kiddos.)

Probably not a shock to you, but for my burgers, I like all the fixins — lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, cheese, bacon, mayo, mustard and ketchup.

Yup.

But, these burgers are so good, they’re perfect even with just meat, cheese, and mayo. Try them once and you’ll be hooked, too.

One of the tricks to the best homemade burger recipe is the bun.

And the butter. Yep, butter. Spread that buttery goodness along the inside and cook the bun on a hot griddle until they’re golden brown.

Oh, you won’t be sorry.

This gives the burger a nice, buttery crunch to it. So good!

The next trick is to use ground chuck, not ground beef. Ground chuck has the right amount of fat to it to make a juicy burger. You can also try using part brisket or tri tip with the chuck for more flavor.

If you’re looking for an easy, delicious and dependable burger at home, here it is.

Heat an outdoor grill to medium heat (or, use a griddle or fry pan, though this is MUCH messier). We have a three zone grill and Dustin heats the back two zones on high and the front zone on medium-low.

Divide the ground chuck into 4 oz portions (1/4 of the meat), using a scale if you have one. Using two sheets of wax paper (or one large sheet, folded in half), gently press the meat into a round patty -- the thinner, the better. Once they start cooking, they will plumpen up. And, yes, "plumpen" is a completely new word I just created. Set aside and repeat for rest of the patties.

Once all patties are formed, lightly season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Or, for some extra flavor, use this homemade seasoning salt instead.

Once grill is hot, place the patties on the hot zone of the grill. Do not close the lid and let cook for 3-5 minutes.

Flip the patties and cook another 3-5 minutes, uncovered, on the high zone.

Then, flip the patties once more but also move to the medium-low zone. Cover and cook patties until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 3-5 minutes.

Once patties are at 160 degrees F, add cheese slices, if using cheese, and cover an additional minute to let melt. Quickly remove the patties from the grill and let sit 3 minutes before serving.

Note: once the burger reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees, the burger will roughly be a medium done burger. Cooking any longer will make the burger dryer.

For the buns, while the burgers are resting, heat a flat griddle or fry pan to medium-high heat. Generously spread the softened butter along the inside of each bun. Set, butter side down, on pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. Once ready, remove from pan and set aside.

Prepare the burger as you wish using the optional toppings listed above. We really enjoy a simple combo of mayo, cheese and sliced avocado. So simple. So good.